The Heart of a Lion
by Chersti
Summary: Quinn gets a tattoo to help her through a tough time in her life. Future AU. One-shot.


**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, Glee or anything associated with the show. I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure anything you recognize in this story belongs to FOX and its associates. I only borrowed the characters to make this silly little fic.**

**A/N: This wasn't really a planned fic or anything, it just happened. I didn't even know it would end the way it did. This is my first time posting to Glee on , though I have posted Glee fic on LJ before. I guess you could call this a future AU. I didn't use a beta, so all mistakes are my own, but I did at least try to proof read it. I would also like to say that I have never gotten a tattoo done myself, so if any of the facts I refer to are wrong, that's why. Please tell me if you think the rating of the story is wrong. Constructive criticism is welcomed, meaningless flaming is not :) Enjoy! (Or something like that…)**

Quinn has no idea why she does it. The thought had never even hit her before, not even once. She was never one for doing extreme things like this on impulse. Extreme _permanent _things like this. Still she finds herself standing in front of the desk of the tattoo parlour with a sheet of different pictures asking if they can make them into a tattoo for her. The tattoo artist answers that he would love to do it for her. He thinks the motif is beautiful. She asks how soon she could get it done, he asks her why she's in such a rush, and she answers that once she has made a decision to do something she wants to get it done as soon as possible. He says that luckily for her they don't have any more clients for the day and that he can at least begin today – where does she want it? how big does she want it to be? Again she wonders why she answers what she does. When he looks at her sceptically and asks her if she's sure, she has no idea why she reassures him that she is. Because she really isn't, sure that is, but still she answers that she is, one hundred percent. She even says that she's thought about it a lot – _liar_. Just to be on the safe side he warns her that with tattoos you can never know if the hair over it will grow in normally again or if the growth will be stunted and miscoloured. Especially considering how her hair is naturally light.

When she's following the tattoo artist further into the parlour and over to the tattooing area she tries to get her mouth to object to this whole process, but her brain can't seem to get her body to obey her. Not even when he turns on the clippers and moves them up to her scalp can she get herself to voice her objections. When he disappears to make ready a razor to shave her hair properly down to the scalp, she reaches up to feel the tiny hairs left on her scalp. They feel prickly and she actually enjoys the feeling of them touching against the palm of her hand. While she's been busy exploring her new haircut the tattoo artist has returned and is ready to shave off what is left of her hair. The feel of the razor against her scalp is almost erotic with the slow, tantalizing strokes against her very sensitive scalp. She never knew shaving her head would feel so good. It's probably a good thing that she feels that way about. There's no point in having a head tattoo if you're not planning on showing it. She knows she's going to have to come in for more sessions as well. Because of the size of it the tattooist only wanted to do the outline today.

When he's transferred the stencil onto her head he orders her over to the mirror to approve. Looking at herself in the mirror, head covered in blue lines, is the closest she ever comes to actually stopping this mad quest her body has taken her on. But still there is something about the image of the woman in the mirror that prevents her from pulling the plug. When she sits down again she takes several deep breaths to brace herself for the inevitable pain that is to come. And painful it is. The scalp is one of the most painful places you can get a tattoo, and this is her first experience with getting one. After a while she is able to somewhat phase out the pain and focus on the even buzzing of the tattoo gun as it permanently marks her skin in black lines.

After a while the minutes just blend together, and she has no idea how much time has gone by when the artist puts the gun down and tells her that he is finished for the day. She can feel a dull ache all over her scalp and she knows that the pain is going to be persistent for at least a week to come. He cleans off the excess ink and ushers her over to the mirror. Despite his earlier reluctance to let her go through with the tattoo, she can see that he's very pleased with the results. It's not hard to understand why. The tattoo looks amazing. It's one of those works of art no one can ever truly regret getting permanently etched into their skin, because they are just that – _works of art_. She can't wait to see what it will look like in colour. Feeling surprisingly happy with the result she waits patiently while the artist explains about tattoo care and wraps her head in gauze. Wrapping the scarf that was originally around her neck around her head, she leaves contemplating what she just did. Contemplating the crazy act of impulse that will follow her for the rest of her life.

She comes back in to start filling in her tattoo with colour a some weeks later. No one has seen her tattoo yet and she's been wearing a scarf or a hat on her head the whole time, claiming that she's hiding an exceptionally bad hairdo. The artist looks positively giddy when he sees how nicely it has healed, despite it being covered in hair that she had been unable to shave off due to the scabbing. It's hard to tell whether or not her hair has been coloured by the tattoo. The hair is so short and light that the tattoo would've shown through it regardless. Once again she enjoys the feeling of the artist shaving her head, savouring the feeling of the razor against her scalp. This time she knows better what to expect in the form of pain. Not that it helps her much. It's still incredibly painful to get a scalp tattoo.

When the tattoo artist finishes this time she tells him that she doesn't want to see the result in the mirror before the tattoo is completely finished. As she's going in to get the rest of the tattoo filled in just two days later, he agrees with her reasoning. Once again wrapping up her now gauze-covered head in a scarf she leaves eager to see the final result two days later.

The result was definitely worth waiting for. The two lionesses surrounded by flames and flowers cover the entirety of her head, and it looks amazing. A lioness is the perfect symbol of her own strength and dignity in the face of a tough situation. It's meant to remind her of that same strength in the next couple of months to come – because she _knows _they will be tough. It is also meant to remind her of the strength of her other half, the strength that their union gives her. Just carrying a tattoo like hers requires dignity and strength, and so in having it she is proclaiming those qualities to the rest of the world. Looking at the finished result she understands perfectly why her subconscious did as it did, and hijacked her body to get her this tattoo. She would have never done it under normal circumstances. She had even changed her mind about finishing it completely several times in the interim between the first and second sessions.

Despite the tattoo now being finished she covers her head once again. She doesn't want anyone seeing it before it's completely healed. She doesn't want anyone to see it before her beloved either.

Waiting in the arrivals hall at the airport she's nervous about Santana's reaction to her new body art. It's the first time since she got it she's going to show it to someone. After finishing it she had let her hair grow over it and coloured it dark to cover it. That way she didn't have to wear scarves around her head all the time – it also perfectly coincided with her story about a bad haircut. Santana had been hurt and worried when she'd first told her that she couldn't see what she was hiding under the scarves, but she'd tried to explain to her that she would understand when she got home. When she'd finally appeared in front of the web-cam with the short dark hair instead of the scarves for the first time in almost three months, she hadn't understood what Quinn had been so worried about, that the short edgy look suited her. The fact that Santana seemed to like edgy as a look on her encouraged her hope that she would like her tattoo as well.

She had been so immersed in her own contemplations that she almost missed the Latina, looking delectable in her fatigues, rapidly approaching her. It felt amazing to be in the same room as her after the long tour overseas. After worrying so much about her. To feel her body against her own, and to be immersed in that smell that was so distinctly _Santana_. When they broke apart the Latina looked strangely at her:

"Why are you wearing the head-scarf again, baby? I thought you got your hair fixed, I told you I digged the short hair."

Again there was that faint look of hurt and worry in her eyes, that made Quinn want to rip the scarf off her head in the middle of the airport – but the moment wasn't right yet, not intimate enough.

"You will know why as soon as we get home. I promise."

She tried to reassure her with a smile, and by the look in her eyes it seemed like she was temporarily appeased.

When they got home she dragged Santana with her straight into the bedroom before she started undressing herself in front of her. She discarded each item of clothing with care, saving the scarf for last, making the Latina burst with impatience. She hadn't actually seen the tattoo in its fully healed glory herself before early that morning when she'd uncovered it with clippers and a disposable razor. She probably wouldn't care to shave it with a razor all the time, rather using the lowest setting on the clippers for everyday maintenance, but this was special and the tattoo and her head needed to look perfect.

With one last deep breath she unwrapped the scarf and braced herself before looking for a reaction in the face of the love of her life. As it turns out her worrying had been for nothing. When she looks up she sees Santana staring at her with tears in her eyes, immediately understanding the symbolism behind her tattoo and the act of her getting it.

"I didn't want anyone to see it before you, and I didn't want you to see it for the first time on a web…"

She doesn't get to finish her sentence as her lips are swallowed up by the plush softness that is the Latinas mouth. It isn't a kiss of raw sexual passion, rather than that of a deep passionate love. The taste of both of their salty tears makes the kiss all the more emotional, more significant.

"It's beautiful Quinn," she says quietly when she pulls away, "I can't believe that you would do something like that for me."

"I did it for us, baby. Apart from each other we're both as strong as lionesses, but as a pack where unbeatable."

When they make love that night. Santana pays special attention to her scalp. Revelling in the sensitivity of a bare scalp while at the same time paying tribute to the artwork put there partially to honour her.

A month later Quinn finds herself back at the tattoo parlour, this time sans the scarf. The artist smiles extra wide at the sight of her bare head and comes over to gloat a little at his own masterpiece. He even asks her to come in to get some proper studio pictures of it for his special tattoo exhibition portfolio.

"So, are you back for more or is it the elusive other half that is being put under the needle this time?"

He asks, gesturing towards Santana standing beside her.

"This might sound incredibly cheesy, but she's here to get a matching tattoo."  
The tattooist smiles at this, it's probably not the first time he's been asked to do matching tattoos on star-crossed lovers. He looks to Santana:

"Do you want yours on your head as well?"

She answers with a faint chuckle:  
"No, I want it on my back, between my shoulders, right under my neck."

He nods at that, smiling.

"OK, I actually have time to do it now, if you want?"

They get strange looks when they exit the parlour a few hours later. Quinn is used to them by now. People have a hard time understanding why someone who dresses so normally, even conservatively, as her would have a full scalp tattoo. She doesn't even have any other tattoos, only the one that covers her entire head. Personally she doesn't really care about the stares. The people that really know her understand why she has the tattoo, and the people at her work tolerate it as long as she covers her head during work hours. Most importantly of all, Santana loves it and understands the importance of it just as well as Quinn.

The next time Santana is away on a tour overseas, they both use their tattoos as a source of strength. When she feels like she might not be strong enough to endure another minute the tour that feels like it has lasted an eternity already, she will spend hours in front of a mirror, turning her head around and staring at the two lionesses looking back at her. "You can do this," they're saying, "You know you're strong enough. You know _we're _strong enough."


End file.
